Reflection

            Before getting into things, I think it is important to mention that I was lucky enough to have Professor J. Mignano Brady both semesters of my freshmen year. Each course has made me view things from various perspectives and has taught me more about myself than ever. What I have learned through Professor Brady are insightful and memorable lessons that I plan to carry on with me for the rest of my life.    

            

This semester specifically has been personally challenging for me. However, stepping into Brady’s class on the first day was like taking a breath of fresh air. Brady has taught me many valuable life lessons. This semester I was taught a broad range of things. I was taught that grief is a personal state of mind that cannot be altered. My eyes were opened to the women oppression which has been prevalent for years and years now. I was also taught that it is better to wake up, even during your own suffering, than to remain a victim and fool to false illusions in one’s life. And I was taught how silence is the most powerful form of oppression. I am grateful for being placed in this course because it has really made me think more in depth about certain scenarios taking place inside the classroom and outside the classroom. I take what I have learned throughout literature and apply the lessons to my own life.

The idea that truly resonated with me was the idea that desire can actually be broken down into two categories: inherent desire and created desire. As human beings, we NEED inherent desires such as love, companionship, knowledge, happiness, acceptance and so on in order to live a fulfilled life. We as human beings, also create desires based on what we WANT and wish to have. In today’s society, it is normal for one to crave a materialistic life consisting of money and fame. The interesting thing about it all is in order to feel one’s inherent desires, they need their created desires to be met. That specific lesson was very relatable. The current generation is growing up in a society where having materialistic items became a need in order to live an ideal life, where one would feel accepted. If an individual lacked these created desires, it was hard to really feel their inherent desires such as happiness and acceptance. It is sad to say that this is true, especially with the high usage of social media today. People of all ages, even myself at times, are guilty of idolizing these individuals such as celebrities, that are living the “ideal life.” It really made me realize that society, as a whole, has to stop creating such high standards and expectations of each other in order for us to appreciate our inherent desires rather than constantly wanting more. We are putting so much pressure on each other when we should be a little more thankful for our inherent desires such as food, water, shelter, health, procreation, love and freedom.